Costa Rica San Diego Natural SHB/EP 2023

Natural (Dry) Processed Green Coffee Beans

The San Diego Mill is the most modern mill in Costa Rica. Established in 1888, San Diego has been innovating for well over a century. Today San Diego specializes in coffees from the Tarrazú and Tres Rios regions. The mill takes pride in striving for ever increasing efficiency and quality standards. At the same time the mill has taken a leading role in working with producers to ensure good community relations and sustainable production.

This natural (dry) processed coffee was cultivated by growers in Costa Rica’s Tarrazú region. The smallholders delivered cherry to the San Diego mill and to its satellite receiving stations. Once at the mill, the cherries were sorted, holding back only ripe red cherries for this micro-lot. The cherries were then laid out with the fruit intact and turned regularly to promote even drying and air circulation. After hulling, the coffee was cupped by the quality control team at San Diego and finally sorted to prepare this wild, bold, fruit-forward coffee.

Green Coffee Bean Quality

A Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) green coffee must be grown at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level or higher. When coffee grows at high altitudes, the coffee cherries mature more slowly. This allows the fruit to take in more nutrients, resulting in denser, sweeter coffee beans that are considered higher quality. During dry milling, the lot was further sorted to European Preparation (EP) specifications with a minimum screen size of 15 and above and a maximum of eight defects within 300 grams.

About Costa Rican Green Coffee Beans

Costa Rica coffees sell at a premium. The country has a reputation for delivering high quality and for innovation – a winning combination. Costa Rica’s quality socio-economic infrastructure programs such as universal healthcare, high education levels, sophisticated agronomy and research, and well-regulated agricultural sustainability programs certainly contribute to the high cost of coffee. Additionally, when coffee roasters buy Costa Rican green coffee, producers receive nearly 80% of the FOB value, guaranteed. Read more in our Costa Rica Green Coffee Origin Report.